Report From the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Science and Technology Council
Craig Barron, Annie Chang, Theodore E. Gluck, Leslie Iwerks, Jeff Taylor, Andy Maltz
To restate the question that is likely reverberating in other articles in this SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal issue: Who could have predicted that the pandemic-caused global shutdowns would have gone on for more than a year? As of this writing, many countries still have severely restrictive lockdown policies in place, and many businesses and organizations (including the Academy) are still in “work-from-home” mode. While COVID-19 vaccines have become widely available in many countries and appear to be successfully stemming infection rates among those vaccinated, and many governments have relaxed restrictions on business activity and public and private gatherings, the pandemic seems to be far from over. Its long-lasting effects on the motion picture industry– and life in general– are best described as “too soon to tell.”